Pusch Ridge football continues to ascend 3A ranks with win over Sabino

The Lions put the pedal down in the second half with 20 unanswered points, winning their fourth straight game 33-7 and third over a ranked 3A opponent as they continue to gear up for yet another postseason push.

“I give a lot of credit to Sabino for slowing us down quite a bit across that game, but I also give a lot of credit to us for how we bounced back in the second half,” Pusch Ridge head coach Kent Middleton said postgame. “We handled that second half well and took it right back to them."

Pusch Ridge came into Friday’s contest seeking its third straight win over Sabino, a key mark on the schedule every year to evaluate where the Lions stand as they pursue their seventh straight playoff appearance.

On the other hand, Sabino hoped to turn the tide on an incredibly challenging season, which includes losses to 3A No. 5 Valley Christian and No. 4 Gilbert Christian, as well as 4A No. 25 Sahuaro. All three losses on Sabino’s schedule were by a touchdown or less.

“Sabino is a very tough opponent,” Pusch Ridge senior Levi Adcock said. “The fact that they are super close to us and also in our conference in 3A, it makes it such a fun game to come out and give it to them, hit them and pick them back up; it’s just a lot of fun.”

Friday’s game was hotly contested across the first half, as the two teams traded scoring chances and possession for the first 24 minutes.

Pusch Ridge broke the deadlock in the opening moments of the second quarter, as senior quarterback Race Pinneo found senior Kamden Cummins on a slant route from four yards out. Cummings added a 21-yard field goal just over five minutes later after a Sabino punt.

Sabino responded with its best drive of the entire contest, converting on a big third-down play for a large gain into Lions’ territory. The Sabercats finished the drive with their lone score of the contest, a 35-yard end-around rush by senior Cassius Gooding on which he broke numerous tackles.

Pusch would add another 35-yard field goal courtesy of Cummins to extend the lead to 13-7 going into halftime.

The second half was a stark contrast to the back-and-forth dynamic of the first, as Pusch Ridge completely controlled possession and forced numerous Sabino mistakes, penalties and turnovers.

“I just think we wore them out a little bit,” Middleton said. “We made a couple of adjustments at halftime to the things they were doing in the first half running the ball, but still, they made us work for every down. I just think we executed a little better.”

Sabino’s first four drives out of the halftime break resulted in a sack on third down and an ensuing punt, a turnover on downs that led to a Pusch touchdown, a pick-six, and a second interception after a costly tackle for loss.

The Lions’ first of three touchdowns in the second half came via a 37-yard touchdown scamper by sophomore running back Marshall Williamson, who led the Pusch Ridge ground game with 15 carries for 146 yards and the score.

Williamson is the latest Pusch Ridge running back to get snaps after injuries to several players above him on the depth chart.

“We’re dressing 26 players, so we’ve lost a lot of kids to injury,” the Lions’ coach said. “These kids are just gritty… They buckle it up and play hard, and I think one of the big things is we don’t overlook anybody because we can’t.”

Following Williamson’s TD rush, Sabino botched a snap on 1st and 10 at its own 15-yard-line, forcing the Sabercats deeper into their own territory. After numerous penalties, Sanford threw a pick-six to junior Joshua Wolters.

Lions’ senior quarterbacks MJ Buckner and Pinneo combined for a 9-for-20 effort for 130 yards and one touchdown. The two signal callers have traded series throughout each contest, a system which Middleton has stuck to due to its success.

“They both come in, and they produce,” Middleton said of his quarterbacks. “It’s not like one takes over for the other and the other takes over for the other; it’s not like one has played bad and one has played good. They’ve both been really good, so we’ve just stuck with it.”

Sabino turns its attention to Odyssey Institute (1-5) this Friday. As the No. 15 seed, the Sabercats remain on the fringe of playoff territory. No. 17 Florence, No. 7 Thatcher and No. 19 Safford await in the second half of October with little room for Sabino error.

Pusch Ridge is set to clash with No. 14 Coolidge (4-3) on the road this Friday, its sixth game this season against a top-20 3A opponent. The last time the Lions went to face a Pinal County school, they snuck out of Florence with a 28-24 win.

“Florence gave us a battle; we were lucky to get off that field in Florence with a win,” the Pusch Ridge coach said. “Winning that close of a game kind of projected us into these last two wins. It was a breather that we got away with that win so we could get to these next ones.”